Foursquare Financial Solutions

Accelerate the mission of The Foursquare Church in partnership with Foursquare Financial Solutions.

Accelerate your mission.

Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS) is dedicated to serving the Foursquare community, collaborating with churches and members, and seeing ministries and families prosper. With more money for ministry, the outcome will be a church that thrives.

FFS provides resources that accelerate the mission of The Foursquare Church. The entity provides a new revenue stream to help lessen the dependence on tithe income to fund Foursquare’s administrative costs.

As Foursquare’s financial services partner, FFS also provides management and comprehensive fiduciary oversight of Foursquare’s financial services, including church loans and investments.

Investments

Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS) provides investment and financial products to churches and supporters of The Foursquare Church.

Investing with Foursquare Financial Solutions

Investment certificate FAQs

The minimum investment to open a new certificate is $1,000 for term and $5,000 for demand.

Interest is compounded quarterly.

For your convenience, account statements are now available on demand using our Online Portal. To sign up for online access or for questions regarding your online access, please email loan@foursquare.org

You will receive notice by email within 30 days (or less) of your maturity date, outlining your current investment options. We are available to discuss your options at 213-989-4431.

No action is needed if you wish to renew your certificate for the same term at the current rate offered for that term.* Use this form [Maturing Investment Form (office.com)] to make changes in your investment term or to add or withdraw funds. For questions, email loan@foursquare.org or call 213-989-4431.

*Individual certificate holders residing in Oregon will need to actively select their maturity option.

There is a small interest penalty based on the term of investment as follows and stated by the offering circular.

  • Up to 60 days of interest for 1-year investment certificates
  • Up to 75 days of interest for 2-year investment certificates
  • Up to 90 days of interest for 3-year investment certificates
  • Up to 105 days of interest for 4-year investment certificates
  • Up to 120 days of interest for 5-year investment certificates

The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG) has been in existence since 1923, and you can be assured that Foursquare Financial Solutions Loan Fund (FFSLF) has organizational stability as a subsidiary of ICFG. As a non-profit religious corporation, FFSLF is not FDIC-insured. However, FFSLF’s investment portfolio is healthy. Detailed information about our investment portfolio is provided in our offering circular.

The interest may be paid on a periodic basis by EFT. Please make sure to complete the EFT portion of the application if you desire interest to be paid to you.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Traditional IRAs

A Traditional IRA is a tax-deferred retirement account. Contributions made to an IRA may be tax deductible, with earnings on IRA accounts also tax-deferred until distribution. Distributions on a Traditional IRA are taxable to the individual investor.

Roth IRAs

A Roth IRA is a retirement investment that allows all earnings and principal distributions to be distributed tax-free if it is a qualified distribution. The contributions made to a Roth IRA are not deductible on the individual tax return.

IRA transfers

An IRA transfer occurs when an IRA is transferred from one IRA custodian to a new IRA custodian, with the IRA funds exchanged between custodians. This transaction is a non-taxable event and can be completed with a Traditional or Roth IRA.

Rollover IRAs

A Rollover IRA is a 403, 457, or other qualified retirement account that is transferred to an IRA custodian, with the retirement funds exchanged between custodians. This transaction is a non-taxable event and can only be completed between a qualified account and a Traditional IRA.

Indirect rollover IRAs

An Indirect Rollover IRA is a transaction where the IRA holder takes a distribution from the IRA account. Within 60 days of receiving the IRA distribution check, the IRA holder deposits the funds in an IRA. This transaction is a non-taxable event and is completed with a Traditional IRA.

IRA FAQs

Limits on contributions are regulated by the IRS and are includible in taxable compensation. The limitation for an individual’s contributions to all of their traditional and Roth IRAs is set by the IRS yearly. An individual’s contributions cannot be more than $7,000 in 2024 or $6,500 in 2023 if you are under age 50 or $8,000 in 2024 or $7,500 in 2023 if you’re age 50 or older, OR your taxable compensation for the year, if your compensation was less than this dollar limit, but only if that dollar amount in taxable compensation is received in that year. Contributions may be made from January 1 of each year through April 15 of the following year.

A Traditional IRA can receive contributions until the owner reaches RMD Age, whereas a Roth IRA can receive contributions at any time.

According to IRS publication 590, compensation includes wages, salaries, commissions, self-employment income, alimony and separate maintenance, and non-taxable combat pay.

The IRS does require any IRA account holder over age 73 to take a distribution from their Traditional IRA; distributions are based on an IRS calculation that will be calculated by the custodian. There are no required minimum distributions for Roth IRAs.

Goldstar Trust Company, our third-party IRA provider, charges an annual maintenance fee. Currently, Foursquare Financial Solutions will be paying the maintenance fee on behalf of the client. Goldstar Trust Company does charge other transaction, paper statement, and termination fees that are your responsibility as a client. Please be sure to read the IRA Simplifier for exact fees and details.

Foursquare Financial Solutions has chosen to outsource the tax reporting, account maintenance, and transactions to Goldstar Trust Company, a third-party professional provider. Goldstar Trust Company, located in Amarillo, Texas, is a complete retirement service provider specializing in self-directed IRAs. Goldstar is an established leader in the bond and investment markets that FFS serves, and their diversified investment options, commitment to high integrity, and superior customer service have set them apart from competitors.

Your investment in the IRA will be managed by Foursquare Financial Solutions.

Each IRA account holder will receive a statement semi-annually from Goldstar. The statements will be mailed in mid-July and mid-January. You may set up online access to receive the statements through Goldstar Trust Company.

Each IRA holder will receive from Goldstar the Form 5498 in mid-May stating the ending balance, new contributions, transfers, and rollovers. Any account holder who completes a distribution during the year will also receive from Goldstar a Form 1099 stating the amount of the distribution, which will be mailed by January 31 following the year of distribution.

Investment certificate rates

 FOR A LIMITED TIME: 4.25% 6-month Promotional Investment Certificate*
FOR NEW CUSTOMERS: Promotional Investment Certificate Rate of 4.25% 12-mo. term**

DEMAND: 2.5%

1-YEAR

3.75%

2-YEAR

4.00%

3-YEAR

4.125%

4-YEAR

4.25%

5-YEAR

4.75%

IRA

4.75%

Premium Rates available for investments over $250,000.*

This is not an offering to sell securities referred to herein. The offering is made only by the offering circular, which includes all risk factors. The Offering Circular may be obtained by calling or clicking here. An investment in Foursquare Financial Solutions Loan Fund involves certain risks that other investment options may not have. Not all risks can be quantified or compared to other investments. You should carefully evaluate all the risks in assessing the potential benefit of the various investments. NOT FDIC or SIPC INSURED. Not a bank deposit, nor is it a Foursquare Financial guarantee. The offering will not be made available to investors in all states.

*Promotional investment certificate is offered for a 6-month term, any funds (not just new funds), no investment limit. No premium rate available on Promotional certificates.
**New Customer Promotional certificate is offered for a 12-month term, limit of $100,000. No premium rate available on promotional certificates.

Ready to get started?

Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS) is dedicated to serving the Foursquare community, collaborating with churches and members, and seeing ministries and families prosper. FFS provides resources that accelerate the mission of The Foursquare Church.

Loan Fund

Foursquare Financial Solutions Loan Fund (FFS Loan Fund) provides real estate term loans, refinance of existing loans, construction loans, and loans for new purchases to Foursquare churches, ministries and educational facilities in the United States.

Foursquare Financial Solutions loan programs

You have many choices in today’s marketplace, but FFS is distinctively different. Revenue generated from every loan supports the Foursquare movement. FFS is committed to providing affordable financing that is competitive with the marketplace and paired with responsible stewardship.

The loan solution process

Loans are a means to an end, providing the necessary capital to fund vision. Foursquare Financial Solutions Loan Fund stands with you by understanding your vision and then providing financial counsel to help your church count the cost and determine next steps.

The Foursquare church provides preliminary information to request a prequalification. From a high level, churches generally can afford 3 times their general, unrestricted operating income on a sustained basis. Any amount that a church might be able to afford is subject to a specific review by a credit analyst.

After the prequalification analysis is complete, the church receives a high-level overview of the potential loan terms (such as interest rate options, amortization period, loan term and amount) for discussion with their leadership council and determination if the church wants to proceed with making a formal application for financing.

If the decision is made by the leadership council to proceed with formal financing, the church receives a loan application to complete and a checklist of documents to provide.

Construction Loans
 If a construction loan is being requested, since construction loans carry a higher level of risk, very specific documents are required about the construction, such as the architect’s plans, costs, contractor information, evidence of insurance, and other related documents. To protect the church, FFS Loan Fund often requires that the church utilize the services of a professional project control manager and prior approval of all invoices, including lien releases, before funding requests for payment.

Once all information is received from the church, it typically takes 3-4 weeks for the Credit Analyst to prepare the credit memo and present the request to the FFS Loan Fund Board for approval.

Click below for information about construction cost management.

If the loan is approved by the FFS Loan Fund Loan Committee, the church will receive a formal commitment letter detailing the terms and conditions of the loan approval and will have 30 days to decide to proceed with the approved loan by signing and returning the commitment letter to FFS Loan Fund.

After receiving the signed commitment letter, there is a dual-track process for charter (not covenant) churches, where International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (ICFG) Board approval (as borrower) will be requested by the ICFG Properties Department. When appropriate due diligence is completed, FFS Loan Fund will initiate the closing process for your loan.

Timing
FFS understands that time is of the essence in lending, and the goal is to help you move through the lending process and obtain your answer as quickly and efficiently as possible. Typically, it takes 3-4 weeks for both ICFG approval and for the loan to be subsequently closed. With construction loans, sometimes closing can take additional time due to the increased due diligence requirements both with FFS Loan Fund and ICFG.

Be assured that you and your church will have experienced FFS Loan Fund staff to help you through the process.

Qualifying for a loan

A prequalification analysis is available to churches at no charge and can provide churches with a better picture of what they can afford. If a church does not qualify, information will be provided to understand the next steps needed to improve its financial position. 

The FFS approach

Three important dynamics are unrelated to a church’s past or current financial performance: timethe economy and pastoral leadership. Most loans are for an extended period of time—15, 20, or even 25 years—during which time several downturns or transitions in these areas could significantly impact a church’s ability to pay their loan over time. To minimize the impact that these events could have on a church, the FFS underwriting takes a conservative approach to loan approvals. The long-term health of the church is important to the FFS loan approach. 

Factors in underwriting

Qualifying for a loan involves due diligence as part of the loan process called underwriting. The FFS underwriters evaluate all aspects of a loan request in order to form an educated opinion of a borrower’s creditworthiness and determine what would be required to make a loan possible. Some of these factors include margins that should not be eclipsed because they impact a borrower’s ability to perform. Click below to see the ratios used in the underwriting process.

Ready for the next step?

Loans from FFS Loan Fund are provided exclusively to churches and ministries affiliated with the Foursquare Church in the United States.

The preliminary loan questionnaire will provide FFS Loan Fund the necessary information to begin the prequalification process and make an informed stewardship decision about the advisability of your ministry securing a loan.

Questions on the loan application and completed applications should be emailed to the Loan Department, or call the Loan Department at 213-709-4145.

Contact us.
We’re here to help!

Still have questions? Reach us by email or by phone.

Investments + Loan Servicing:
fax 213.989.4534 // Email Investments
Loan Prequalifications + Applications + Closing Questions:
fax 213.989.4534  // Email Loans
855.547.6948

General written inquiries may be directed to:
Foursquare Financial Solutions
PO Box 26902
Los Angeles, CA 90026